Michigan
North Carolina
Wolverines Open 2018 Slate at Annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge
8/22/2018 2:55:00 PM | Field Hockey
» No. 5 Michigan opens the 2018 season at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge taking on No. 2 North Carolina and No. 14 Wake Forest.
» The Wolverines own an all-time record of 21-23-1 in season openers and have won two straight openers against UNC at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
» Michigan returns 15 letterwinners this fall and more than 75 percent of its goal production from 2017, including lead scorers Meg Dowthwaite and Emma Way.
THIS WEEK
ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Saturday, Aug. 25 -- at North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 11:30 a.m.
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Sunday, Aug. 26 -- vs. Wake Forest (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 11:30 a.m.
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• Game Day Information: Phyllis Ocker Field Information | Free Admission
The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team will open its 46th season of intercollegiate competition at the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge this weekend in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Wolverines will open the tournament against No. 2 North Carolina (0-0) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 25) before wrapping up with an 11:30 a.m. slate against No. 14 Wake Forest (0-0) on Sunday (Aug. 26).
Now in its 17th season, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge has proven to be the premiere early-season field hockey tournament on the collegiate slate. All four participating schools -- U-M, Iowa, North Carolina and Wake Forest -- have combined to win 41 conference titles and 21 national championships.
WOLVERINE BITES
• Michigan owns an all-time record of 21-23-1 in season openers. The Wolverines have kicked off the season against North Carolina in 15 of the last 16 seasons and have won the last two meetings against the Tar Heels. Last season, Michigan defeated UNC, 3-2, and Wake Forest, 5-4, to sweep the opening weekend for the first time in 16 appearances at the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
• Senior forward Emma Way, junior forward Meg Dowthwaite and junior midfielder Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort were named to the Big Ten Conference's 2018 Preseason Honors list. [ Full List ]
• The Wolverines welcome five newcomers to the 2018 squad -- two forwards, two midfielders and a goalkeeper. While all have potential to earn playing time throughout the season, U-M is expected to immediately call on midfielders Kathryn Peterson and Sofi Southam and goalkeeper Anna Spieker, who will likely split time in the Wolverine cage. Southam enters her second semester at Michigan; she first joined the program in January.
• Michigan played three road exhibition games in as many days (Aug. 18-20) and went 1-1-1 in those contests, defeating in-state rival Michigan State (4-0), falling to Louisville (3-1) and rallying to tie Ohio State (2-2). Junior Emma Way paced the Wolverine offense with four goals, while junior Fay Keijer netted two and junior Meg Dowthwaite scored once. Goalkeepers Sidonie LaPlante and Anna Spieker split time evenly in the cage and combined for a 1.67 goals-against average.
• Michigan returns 15 letterwinners this season, including six players who earned double-digit starts in 2017. The Wolverines return 75 percent of their goal production from a season ago, including their top two scorers in junior Meg Dowthwaite and senior Emma Way, who tallied career highs with 19 and 13 goals, respectively. Dowthwaite, who earned 2017 NFHCA All-America second team honors, served as the Wolverines' primary corner striker, while junior Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort shared the team lead with 11 assists as the team's primary stick stopper.
• Seniors Maggie Bettez and Emma Way and junior Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort will serve as the Wolverines' tri-captains in 2018 -- all for the first time in their careers. The trio was critical to last season's success, starting at back, forward and midfield, respectively.
• Michigan earned the No. 5 ranking in the 2018 Penn Monto/NFHCA Preseason Poll, released Tuesday (Aug. 21), and lists second among Big Ten teams. The Wolverines will face nine teams featured among the top 20 in the preseason poll this season, most notably No. 1 UConn and No. 2 North Carolina. [ Full NFHCA Rankings ]
• Head coach Marcia Pankratz enters the season with a 275-120 career record over her 18 seasons at the helm of the Michigan program (1996-2004, '09-17). She ranks 12th among all-time NCAA Division I coaches with a .696 win percentage -- seventh among active coaches -- and lists 21st in total wins.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
North Carolina -- The Tar Heels return 20 letterwinners from last year's squad that went 18-5 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals. UNC returns four of its top five goal scorers from a year ago but graduated its leading scorer, Gab Major, who boasted eight goals and 14 assists. The Tar Heels also return their starting goalkeeper in Amanda Hendry, who posted a 1.10 goals-against average and .722 save percentage in the cage last season. North Carolina owns a 22-5 advantage in the all-time series against Michigan, but the Wolverines have taken two of the last three meetings, including last season's opener, 3-2, after scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Wake Forest -- The Demon Deacons return 13 letterwinners from last season's team that went 12-8 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Among Wake's returners are its 2017 leading scorer, Jule Grashoff, and starting goalkeeper Isla Bint. Grashoff posted 16 goals and 14 assists last season, while Bint recorded a 2.35 goals-against average and .683 save percentage. Wake Forest owns an 18-5 advantage in the all-time series against Michigan. The Wolverines won a shootout in last season's ACC/Big Ten Challenge match, 5-4, with Leah Cardarelli netting the game-winner off a rebound with 13 minutes remaining in the second half.
2017 SEASON RECAP
The Wolverines posted one of their most successful seasons in program history in 2017, posting a 21-3 record -- a program-record for wins -- en route to the Big Ten Conference regular-season and tournament titles and a spot in the NCAA semifinals. After starting the season with a 3-2 record, including wins over UNC and Wake Forest at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the Wolverines did not lose again for two months, reeling off a program-best 18 straight wins to claim both Big Ten titles for the fourth time and reach the NCAA Final Four for the first time in 14 years.
Katie Trombetta was named the 2017 Big Ten Player of the Year and the Big Ten Tournament MVP and became 11th Wolverine player in program history to earn All-America first-team honors, while goalkeeper Sam Swenson -- the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year -- and Meg Dowthwaite earned Second Team All-America honors. Marcia Pankratz was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the sixth time in her career.
UP NEXT
Fri., Aug. 31 -- at Massachusetts (Amherst, Mass.), 6 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 2 -- at Connecticut (Storrs, Conn.), noon
